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Stealth & Metal Wehrmacht Guide

By Budwise - 9th April 2011 - 17:41 PM

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This is a retool of my original strategy made in 2.301 that can be found here. The last patch for Company of Heroes features some changes that will:
  • Make this strat more effective.
  • Warrant a few tweaks. So with that out of the way lets jump in.
Standard 2 Pioneer Start -- Build Only One
Use both Pioneers to build T1 since you will be going MG first.

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If you see fast BAR's get an extra MG42 and a Medic Bunker

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2 Snipers

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Versus the Americans


The v2.0 opening starts with MG-Bike and I'll tell you why. The MG can run straight out and cap a point or two outside your base by the time the Bike arrives. The MG-Bike combo is nearly unbeatable in the opening battle if you micro correctly. Your Bike will have line of sight on the first Rifle well before he sees your MG. Use the Bike to see what direction the Rifle is coming from and move and setup your MG accordingly. Use the Bike to push if necessary. Since this is a T3 strat, the extended T1 is needed to maintain a good fuel flow and map control. Once your Volks are out combined with the Bike and MG you should be able to hold a fuel and VP rather easily. Remember to watch for fast BAR's and throw in an extra MG when you see them.

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Upon the arrival of your dual Snipers, the thorn in the side of the American player becomes evident, and this time you will force capping Riflemen or suppressed squads from your Machine Guns to either get out, or suffer major losses. At this point in the build if you do not see fast BAR's start being aware of your munitions income. Why? The fast M8/T17 is always a danger. Make sure to always have at least 75 munis in the bank for your first Storm squad, anything over that 75 munis you should use to start dropping some mines on key roads and choke points in anticipation of the M8. If you see BAR's then of course you dont need to worry about an M8 anytime soon.

Of course if you see a Weapon Support Center opening, then grab a bike and sniper as soon as possible. Make sure you have Volksgrenadiers near your snipers at all times in case you need a panzerfaust for that pesky jeep. Another good practice is to put a mine near the retreat path of your sniper (or entrance to your base) so that when a jeep gives chase, it will soon meet its maker.

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At this point, the Americans response will most likely be:
  1. Rifle Upgrades or
  2. Fast M8 or
  3. Get Weapon Support Center for a counter sniper.

To deal with Wehr snipers, Weapon Support Center + BAR's and or Grenades is very common tactic, but now it plays right into your hands. Be prepared for this, and use your snipers a bit more cautiously if you see a Weapon Support Center unit come out (counter snipers may be lurking). If you kept your Bike alive you can easily scout them.

Naturally, you would wonder what to do against a fast M8, right? Storms are only 2CP, and with Snipers on the field, you should have Storms in time for the M8. With the new patch Shreks are better than ever vs M8 vehicle types. Your Stuh and T3 wont be far behind. Use Panzerfausts and Panzerschrecks to deal with the M8, and if you happen to catch him on a well placed mine it's lights out for that Greyhound.

Versus the British


Against British, you need to be rather conservative until the Snipers come out. Use your Volksgrenadiers wisely, don't engage a 1v1 battle with Tommies, unless you have superior cover and MG fire. Use Panzerfausts/mines for any Bren Carriers. Once the snipers are out, his Tommies will be rather useless and you can snipe out his LT really quickly. With Machine Guns for suppression, Volksgrenadiers for panzerfausts and small arms, and snipers to take them down two at a time, it gets much easier. Your biggest enemy is the Bren Carrier and the Recon Squad due to their sniping ability. Play smart, use mines and wire, and keep those snipers well guarded.

British will likely go for a Stuart at this point to break your line. Panzerfausts + Mines are your friend. Watch out for the Canister shot, it can one shot an entire Storm squad, if its out of cover!

Remake Your Snipers!
If you loose a sniper, try to remake it! Maybe not immediately, but within a few minutes. The constant manpower drain they cause is well worth their price. That is, if your micro is up to par.


Mines!
Make sure to drop a mine down on major roads and traffic areas.


Snipers Are Great Bait!
If you have an M8 in your face faster than you'd like and he just went around your mine by chance, use your Snipers to bait him back into that mine. The best way to do this is click where you want your snipers to go, then manually uncloak and recloak them over and over quickly. This will make the M8 have a harder time locking on and firing on your snipers but will make them move a bit faster at the same time.


Choose Blitzkrieg as your Doctrine


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Stormtroopers
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Storms give you a lot of possibilities to be flexible in your game. I'm not going to say get Shreks or MP44's as a blanket statement for every game because that would be foolish. If you have trouble deciding which to invest in then stick with the rule of your first Storm on the field get a Shrek. After that you need to respond to what your opponent has teched. If there is an M8, or multiple M8's on the field? Then get another Shrek squad. Is he trying to AT Gun wall you? MP44's all the way. Be aware that the best counter to StuH's is M10's so if you dont see any signs of teching at this point in the game then get more Shreks.

The StuH42
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This beast now comes at 4CP making it a great soft counter to Motor Pool and the British blob/Stuart. It can take out 4-6 men in a single shot if they are clumped up! If they are really spamming infantry dont hesitate to get more than one.

StuH Targeting
In the new patch StuH's now target infantry over vehicles so if you want to fend off that annoying M8 you'll have to target it manually if infantry are nearby.


Attack Ground with the StuH42!
Often times using "Attack Ground" can yield better results than letting the StuH autotarget. This is especially true with AT guns. Target right on top of the AT gun crew with a StuH and it can easily take AT guns head on.


StuH42's Firing Range is Farther than its LoS
Keep your StuH in the back of your fighting force and let the Volks give it line of sight. It will fire over your Volks and into the Rifles from quite a distance!


Tech to T3


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Versus the Americans


If you see either multiple Riflemen upgrades or Riflemen + Weapon Support Center units, you have two options. Get a 2nd or more StuH's or get some Pumas. I personally would save the fuel for Vet and get another StuH. Stugs also got a nice buff in the latest patch. Their acceleration is now better making them easier to micro. If his M8's are giving more grief than your Storms/Stuh can handle get a Stug out. If he tries to AT gun wall you then just laugh and either snipe them away or build some Nebels. Remember, if you see no Riflemen upgrades and no Motor pool units, a fast Tank Depot may be coming and you should be preparing with some Shreks and perhaps a Stug. Stugs are excellent at fighting Shermans, but M10's are best dispatched with Shreks. My personal preference is to get Nebels and Stugs. Nebels fill the gap that Blitz Doctrine leaves which is lack of arty and Stugs are just great all around tanks for their price. Stuh's being so good makes me not really reach for the Pumas so much anymore. If you want to use Geschutzwagens instead feel free but my preference is the Stug thanks to its brutal front armor.

What do I do vs Elite infantry, like Rangers or Airborne? Dual Snipers will make them nothing but a massive manpower drain and Stuh's can kite them all day long taking out 1-5 guys per shot.

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Versus the British


Against British, I'd recommend the same thing. Nebels and StuH/Stug backed by Storms/Snipers/MGs/Volks. Roos are rather toothless these days so expect Commandos and Cromwells most likely. When you can comfortably do so, tech to T4.

Storms
Remember, Storms are cloaked mobile ninja infantry, and should not be taking on BAR'd Riflemen or a Tommy blob, except with a surprise Bundled Grenade. The only time Storms should be taking a more up front infantry role is at Vet 2 or greater.


To T4 or Not to T4?


In some games you will not feel pressured into rushing T4 and you may feel that Vet would be a better investment than teching. This is your call to make. If your Storms feel a bit weak or you want your StuH's to be a bit better at soaking up damage, feel free to forego teching in favor of Vet. You may very well have a Tiger ready to call in by the time T4 is ready so do what's right for the game you're in.

Teching to Tier 4


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At this point, you must ask yourself, "What is the other player doing?" Are there Shermans on the field, or is he using mostly infantry and motorpool units? Is there already a Cromwell on the field?

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  • Keep your snipers around to pick off over-repair Sappers.
IPB Image Motorpool and mass infantry means go Ostwind first.
  • Knights Cross Holders are also great against Tommies, but kinda suck against Americans with BAR's or Rangers, so spend your manpower wisely.
The units to follow are really more of a stop gap until your beautiful Tiger comes rolling out. I would lean more towards Panzer IV's against Americans and Panthers against British. Mix Ostwinds and Knights Cross Holders in for flavor.

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Veterancy


Thanks to StuH's and Nebels, the only fuel you spend is for teching and Stugs if needed. This means you are pretty flexible as to when you want to start getting vet. Vet 1 for tanks is an outstanding investment, and would be my first choice with this strat since StuHs, StuGs, and the Tiger will all benefit. Vet for your Storms is great as well and if you are lucky your med bunker may have gotten you a few free Grenadiers. If your machine guns and snipers are still alive, support vet is not a bad idea either. Use your judgement but Tank and Infantry should be your #1 priority.

Closing Words


This guide is very flexible for the most part, remember that Company of Heroes is all about adaptation, and if you get stuck in the mindset of "I must build this unit at this time", you will limit yourself to how far you can go. In conclusion, this strategy is designed to be as powerful as possible in the Grand Finale of our CoH patches. It should be a heck of a lot of fun to play and watch and doesn't put you in the camping or spamming mindset. You can be as aggressive or as passive as you like and it will still be great fun. It also works really well in 2v2 matchups as well.

Good Luck & Have Fun!

An Original Strategy Reborn by Budwise, Edited by Leatham